Author Topic: What small things did you do TODAY to save money? (Read 8334401 times)

Bracken_Joy · « **Reply #3800 on:** July 13, 2015, 08:29:40 PM »

I ate leftovers! I know this is no big for most people, but I STRUGGLE with left overs. And this was leftover tuna no less. Less than 24 hours old, but still! Proud of myself.

1967mama · « **Reply #3801 on:** July 13, 2015, 11:46:25 PM »

Quote from: Bracken_Joy on July 13, 2015, 08:29:40 PM

I ate leftovers! I know this is no big for most people, but I STRUGGLE with left overs. And this was leftover tuna no less. Less than 24 hours old, but still! Proud of myself.

Good for you, @Bracken_Joy! I think its a real accomplishment when you can overcome something like this. I'm sure we all have little things that we see black belt Mustachians doing with ease that are very challenging to us.

mustachepungoeshere · « **Reply #3802 on:** July 13, 2015, 11:59:28 PM »

Quote from: Bracken_Joy on July 13, 2015, 08:29:40 PM

I ate leftovers! I know this is no big for most people, but I STRUGGLE with left overs. And this was leftover tuna no less. Less than 24 hours old, but still! Proud of myself.

That is impressive! I don't eat tuna, so I wouldn't eat leftover tuna if you paid me. I know it's frugal, I know it can be good for you, but... nope. And my husband was scarred for life by a childhood tuna casserole incident, so our house is a tuna-free zone.

Again, I applaud you for your bravery and courage in the face of such adversity. :)

RetiredAt63 · « **Reply #3803 on:** July 14, 2015, 06:07:19 AM »

WTG!

I find calling them "planned-overs" helps reset my thinking - "I made enough to have some the next time, so happy not to have to cook again" versus "oh, I suppose I should eat them".

Quote from: Bracken_Joy on July 13, 2015, 08:29:40 PM

I ate leftovers! I know this is no big for most people, but I STRUGGLE with left overs. And this was leftover tuna no less. Less than 24 hours old, but still! Proud of myself.

Bracken_Joy · « **Reply #3804 on:** July 14, 2015, 08:20:30 AM »

Quote from: 1967mama on July 13, 2015, 11:46:25 PM

Quote from: Bracken_Joy on July 13, 2015, 08:29:40 PM
I ate leftovers! I know this is no big for most people, but I STRUGGLE with left overs. And this was leftover tuna no less. Less than 24 hours old, but still! Proud of myself.

Good for you, @Bracken_Joy! I think its a real accomplishment when you can overcome something like this. I'm sure we all have little things that we see black belt Mustachians doing with ease that are very challenging to us.

Thank you guys! One thing that actually really helped was reading one of the latest Frugalwoods blog posts where they called leftovers "frugal fast food".

Quote from: mustachepungoeshere on July 13, 2015, 11:59:28 PM

Quote from: Bracken_Joy on July 13, 2015, 08:29:40 PM
I ate leftovers! I know this is no big for most people, but I STRUGGLE with left overs. And this was leftover tuna no less. Less than 24 hours old, but still! Proud of myself.

That is impressive! I don't eat tuna, so I wouldn't eat leftover tuna if you paid me. I know it's frugal, I know it can be good for you, but... nope. And my husband was scarred for life by a childhood tuna casserole incident, so our house is a tuna-free zone.

Again, I applaud you for your bravery and courage in the face of such adversity. :)

DH was very wary about tuna. He would eat sardines, but tuna? Not so much. I had to ease him into it. We never do casseroles or anything though- I prefer my fish cold when possible, less smelly! I can absolutely see how a tuna casserole could be scarring.

Candace · « **Reply #3805 on:** July 14, 2015, 12:02:29 PM »

I love leftovers. Cook once, eat yummy homemade food n times.

I congratulate myself every time I eat leftovers. I just finished some leftover pork tenderloin in sour cream sauce for lunch. It was even better after the flavors combined over a few days.

Just be smart and use good sense. Refrigerate the leftovers. Don't leave them out. Heat them up well enough when you go to reheat them.

Don't keep them too long. Be conservative if you have a concern about whether the food is okay to eat.

mustachepungoeshere · « **Reply #3806 on:** July 14, 2015, 05:29:56 PM »

Quote from: Bracken_Joy on July 14, 2015, 08:20:30 AM

Quote from: mustachepungoeshere on July 13, 2015, 11:59:28 PM
Quote from: Bracken_Joy on July 13, 2015, 08:29:40 PM
I ate leftovers! I know this is no big for most people, but I STRUGGLE with left overs. And this was leftover tuna no less. Less than 24 hours old, but still! Proud of myself.

That is impressive! I don't eat tuna, so I wouldn't eat leftover tuna if you paid me. I know it's frugal, I know it can be good for you, but... nope. And my husband was scarred for life by a childhood tuna casserole incident, so our house is a tuna-free zone.

DH was very wary about tuna. He would eat sardines, but tuna? Not so much. I had to ease him into it. We never do casseroles or anything though- I prefer my fish cold when possible, less smelly! I can absolutely see how a tuna casserole could be scarring.

Tuna casserole: tinned tuna topped with crumbled Weetbix and a layer of grated cheese.

My husband's work sometimes involves dining in hatted restaurants. He loves sitting down to a gourmet meal and sharing the story of the tuna casserole.

1967mama · « **Reply #3807 on:** July 14, 2015, 05:32:13 PM »

This is actually the best tuna casserole I have ever made, and I've made many over the years!

http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/the-best-tuna-casserole-recipe/

dorothyc · « **Reply #3808 on:** July 15, 2015, 09:43:40 AM »

Quote from: 1967mama on July 13, 2015, 02:06:10 PM

Quote from: swick on July 13, 2015, 07:14:48 AM
That is why I love your updates, always inspiring :)

Thanks for the love, @Swick, you made my day!

So far today, I have:

*re-used my tea bag -- I love strong tea but suffered through it. Haha!

Do you have a small teapot, like a 2 cup size? One teabag brewed in a pot gives a better second cup than resteeping the bag in the mug - a more even brew. I'm British so I like a robust cup of tea too.

swick · « **Reply #3809 on:** July 15, 2015, 11:02:30 AM »

I have a good one today!

Arebelspy mentioned at camp mustache that he listens to audio at 1.5 (at least) speed so he can listen to more information.

I haven't really had a chance to try it, but I was watching some instructional videos (which would have taken me HOURS) and they had an option t change the speed. I put it on 1.75 speed. I got the info I needed - actually more - because usually I get bored and only 1/2 listen when things are at regular speed while I am doing something else. It forced me to "really" listen and kept my focus 100% AND saved a bunch of time (and therefore money) WHOOT!

1967mama · « **Reply #3810 on:** July 15, 2015, 11:10:12 AM »

@dorothyc, Thanks for the great tip on a better way to stretch a tea bag. Trying it right now!

lunahsol · « **Reply #3811 on:** July 15, 2015, 01:01:42 PM »

Okay friends, I am not extremely proud of this one, but here it is . . .

So, a week or so ago, I transferred 1K from savings into my checking account to act as an "emergency buffer" (to give myself the confidence to shred the credit card). Hmmm . . . so since then, I have managed to spend $70 of it.

So . . . I transferred the remaining 930ish directly to pay the credit card. Looks like I cannot be trusted with it yet, so now the ability to spend is gone and I will just have to live with no buffer until I can rebuild it.

Tough love, yo.

SweetLife · « **Reply #3812 on:** July 15, 2015, 03:58:10 PM »

Hmmm .... not sure if this really saved money or just added to "home goodness" factor ... just finished canning a big batch of sour cherry jam (cherries free from a tree at my Mom's farm) ... and one other kind of berry I can never remember the name gooseberry/bosenberry some berry that also grows on a tree ...and just waiting for our cucumbers to get ice cold to can those too (from our garden) and to get enough energy to start on the strawberries lol... :) while we wait impatiently for the first tomato sandwich tomatoes from the garden ... ahhhhh ... I love summer growing season!!!!

I know that my spending habits have changed drastically when I think that even when I hit FI and ER ... I am still going to want to preserve whatever yumminess I can from a garden wherever we decide to live .... Life is Sweet!

Erica/NWEdible · « **Reply #3813 on:** July 15, 2015, 04:13:53 PM »

Just got done cutting my own hair. This is still one of those little things I get a rush from. I've been cutting my own hair for....2 or 3 years, I'd guess...and I always feel like kinda a badass when I can look at my cut and say, "that didn't cost me $70!" which is what a typical salon cut with tip would have been, back in the day.

1967mama · « **Reply #3814 on:** July 15, 2015, 04:14:20 PM »

*Used up chicken from the whole chicken I cooked the other night - bones and yucky bits are bubbling away in the crockpot to make stock for fall soups (will sit in the freezer till then) - usable meat became chicken salad sandwiches for the gang and myself for lunch.

*Didn't put on the a/c even though I'm a wuss and wish I could put it on. Waiting for my body to adapt to the heat.

*Charging computer and phone in the daytime so I can unplug them as soon as they are done

*Used 1 tea bag for two cups of tea successfully using dorothyc's method

*Made big batch of black beans in the crockpot yesterday -- today they are turning into copycat Chipotle bean burritos

*Had a terrible sleep last night (fell asleep at 4am) but am coping ok today by turning my activities down a notch and also not leaving home. If I tried to do to much, for sure I would have ended up in a drive thru! (pity party)

*Got a load of wash in and will hang it to dry on my indoor racks since its late in the day

*Cleaned out my purse - found over a dollar in change in the bottom, a receipt for massage therapy to add to my pile of claim forms I'm working on to submit, a prescription for antibiotic cream that I didn't fill but would be handy to have in my medicine cabinet (free with my insurance), 3 cheque books (so will put 2 away in the file box), a partially stamped card from the thrift store that expires in December -- every bag of clothes donated earns you a stamp and a full card gives you 30% off your order.

*Returned library materials on time.

horsepoor · « **Reply #3815 on:** July 15, 2015, 05:07:02 PM »

Finally started listing things on eBay. So far I have $3,891 worth of stuff up there, if it all sells at minimum bid, and probably have another $500 or more to go. Motivating when I started actually putting those numbers together. Stashing a cool $4K in the next few weeks would be awesome!

mustachepungoeshere · « **Reply #3816 on:** July 15, 2015, 05:14:18 PM »

This morning I:

Braved the cold to peg washing outside. Fingers crossed it will actually dry.

Packed leftovers for lunch.

Scrubbed the toaster. (Bear with me on this. We sort of 'need' a new kettle - the lid won't close properly, so I'm tossing up between whether it's more frugal to tolerate existing kettle, or to replace it because it uses more power by not shutting off when the water is boiled. We just got a gorgeous new kettle at work ... for $80! So I'm polishing up our existing appliances to combat temptation.)

My lip balm got to the 'empty' stage about three days ago but I'm using my pinky to use up the very last remnants.

Cookie78 · « **Reply #3817 on:** July 16, 2015, 08:36:00 AM »

Biked to work, even though it was raining.

Made a vegetarian dinner last night to use up all the veggies that were nearing the end of their life and to make some space the day before I pick up a new batch of CSA veggies. Leftovers for lunch.

Washed futon cover last night and hung it outside to dry in the wind instead of using the dryer. I've been hanging clothes so frequently now it's become the default and I have to break my habit to use the dryer instead.

Was going to throw out an old text book. Discovered that it's still the same version that is being used currently. Put it online for sale.

Abnormal Housewife · « **Reply #3818 on:** July 16, 2015, 11:32:19 AM »

Hey all, first post - be gentle. ;)

So, this is from yesterday:

Said pbbbbtttt to $125/month for DirecTV. Been after the husband to check the channel lineups to see if he would mind dropping the package down. He never bothered so I decided to call and cancel since we hardly watch tv. Found out we're under contract til 11/16 and canceling would cost $350 which we don't have. Dropped to a lower package instead. Asked about some small fees that I didn't remember authorizing and got a credit. Asked for more discounts and got $5/month off bill for 6 months. Will call in 6 months to try to extend. Result? Bill down to $75 a month, saving $50/month. Also got a credit for those misc. fees of $106.19, so no bill for a while. Am trying to get the husband to drop to $29 package. We'll see.

Sent the husband to the store with my grocery list. I've always been good about meal planning, but I get sucked in by extras at the store whereas he doesn't. He spent $45.46 and stuck 100% to the list. I'm lucky to get out of there for less than $75. Will do this from now on.

Made some sort of concoction in the crockpot with stuff I already had. Looks kinda like the chicken taco bowls from Budget Bytes.

Hung my clothes inside to dry. Can't do it outdoors due to allergies. I'm trying to figure out how to hang the husband's - I have to have them dry and spun through the dryer for 2 minutes to remove crunchiness or he complains. I grew up on line-dried clothes, doesn't bug me.

Nagged the husband about his work-related and entertainment spending. $130.03 on Starbucks and fast food and $202.55 on iTunes for June. Agreed that he will do better about trying to remember lunch. I decided to cool off about it and revisit it next month since I did take his tv away. Gotta ease the poor man into it.

I don't leave the house most days already, spending nothing. I'm usually home 20-25 days a month which does nothing for my social life, but wonders for our bank account and my law school studies.

Thanks for all the suggestions and encouragement - you guys really showed me that I can do this!

horsepoor · « **Reply #3819 on:** July 16, 2015, 11:47:30 AM »

Welcome Molly, great work! And yeah, easing the hubs into it is best to prevent a full-on revolt.

Abnormal Housewife · « **Reply #3820 on:** July 16, 2015, 12:08:08 PM »

Haha, thanks horsepoor. You're so right. I'm trying to keep cool about it. I'm just so mad that all these companies have their hand in our pockets.

Bonus for today: got mad about paying $2000/year to insure 3 cars. Refused to believe the husband that it was the best we can do. I shopped around, found only higher rates, then called our company. After some clicking around on the computer, the rep was able to apply some discounts, saving us roughly $250/year. That pays the registration for one of the cars, so I'm happy. Ish.

lunahsol · « **Reply #3821 on:** July 16, 2015, 01:58:50 PM »

Looks like you are off to a great start, mollymeow!

* making use of free gym tonight
* homemade leftovers-based lunch (I cannot remember the last time I bought lunch - ha ha!)
* pumped up the tires on my bicycle
* spending nothing today

RelaxedGal · « **Reply #3822 on:** July 16, 2015, 02:26:33 PM »

Quote from: mollymeow on July 16, 2015, 11:32:19 AM

Nagged the husband about his work-related and entertainment spending. $130.03 on Starbucks and fast food and $202.55 on iTunes for June.

What's he getting at iTunes? If it's a variety of music to listen to at work, maybe Pandora Internet Radio would be a better fit. If it's specific music (e.g. he's a yoga instructor, needs a set playlist on his iPod) then hopefully that will be enough for a while. For me, our local library has a Freegal subscription, which is 5 free downloads/week and they just started some sort of streaming service that I haven't checked out yet. If it's apps... I'm no help, sorry!

horsepoor · « **Reply #3823 on:** July 16, 2015, 02:50:51 PM »

Woot! 2 books sold on Amazon today after updating my inventory yesterday.

Realizing I'd need to transfer money out of savings to cover my horse's surgery lit a fire under me to sell some shit. Have a bid on one of my eBay listings already too. Only about $550 to go by the end of the month to cashflow this thing and avoid the dreaded e-fund transfer. As long as at least one saddle sells, I'll be good. Yes, there is a very real reason for my user name. :)

zephyr911 · « **Reply #3824 on:** July 16, 2015, 03:05:19 PM »

Went to breakfast with 3 CWs and stared at them while they ate... had lunch from a can for under a buck.

Abnormal Housewife · « **Reply #3825 on:** July 16, 2015, 05:55:43 PM »

Quote from: RelaxedGal on July 16, 2015, 02:26:33 PM

Quote from: mollymeow on July 16, 2015, 11:32:19 AM
Nagged the husband about his work-related and entertainment spending. $130.03 on Starbucks and fast food and $202.55 on iTunes for June.

What's he getting at iTunes? If it's a variety of music to listen to at work, maybe Pandora Internet Radio would be a better fit. If it's specific music (e.g. he's a yoga instructor, needs a set playlist on his iPod) then hopefully that will be enough for a while. For me, our local library has a Freegal subscription, which is 5 free downloads/week and they just started some sort of streaming service that I haven't checked out yet. If it's apps... I'm no help, sorry!

Ugh. It's rarely music. He just signed up for Apple Music, but has been using the hold music satellite radio at work. He's an IT manager, so technology is his life. Actually, I think he's been suckered by the movie sales on iTunes. He's probably just been buying hundreds of $4.99 movies. We hardly watch them!

mustachepungoeshere · « **Reply #3826 on:** July 16, 2015, 06:53:09 PM »

Hit up a luggage sale and saved $460 on two Samsonite suitcases for my husband.

He travels constantly for work but had always resisted quality luggage because of the price. He changed his mind after his large suitcase broke while travelling in June and his small suitcase broke while travelling on Monday. (That makes four broken suitcases in 18 months.)

Now I'm busy scanning the receipts so he has copies in case of another blow-out while travelling.

Getting a free lunch at work today. A superannuation company is coming in to recruit my colleagues (I'm already a member). So free lunch and I get to ask questions about retirement savings and investments. Win-win.

Rosy · « **Reply #3827 on:** July 16, 2015, 07:46:16 PM »

Quote from: lunahsol on July 15, 2015, 01:01:42 PM

Okay friends, I am not extremely proud of this one, but here it is . . .

So, a week or so ago, I transferred 1K from savings into my checking account to act as an "emergency buffer" (to give myself the confidence to shred the credit card). Hmmm . . . so since then, I have managed to spend $70 of it.

So . . . I transferred the remaining 930ish directly to pay the credit card. Looks like I cannot be trusted with it yet, so now the ability to spend is gone and I will just have to live with no buffer until I can rebuild it.

Tough love, yo.

I feel your pain, because that is a page out of my play book too:)

10dollarsatatime · « **Reply #3828 on:** July 16, 2015, 08:05:15 PM »

- Took lunch to work today! Big salad with strawberries, mandarin orange segments, turkey that I canned last January, feta, and... you know... greens.

Eating out expenses were sneaking back up on me, so I'm working on bringing them back down.

Spruit · « **Reply #3829 on:** July 17, 2015, 03:28:59 PM »

Eating the cupboards empty is a success so far. Had to buy some bread and juice to prevent the BF from climbing the barricades, but otherwise no grocery shopping. The fridge and freezer are getting nice and empty. Strangely, my list of cookable dinners keeps growing, because I find all kinds of food I had forgotten about and conjur up new combinations as I go.

Tried DIY coleslaw today with a sweetheart cabbage I found in the fridge, it turned out pretty good for a first try. I'm so glad to have found another cabbage recipe that both I and BF like. You need a lot of recipes to get through one big head of cabbage! The coleslaw was a nice side dish with the baked baby potatoes and cheese schnitzels.

Another no spend day again today :)

Cookie78 · « **Reply #3830 on:** July 17, 2015, 05:42:04 PM »

Woke up this morning to discover that Mother Nature thought it was November. Contemplated breaking my cycle to work streak and taking the bus instead. It was cold and raining and the wind was wicked. I decided not to take the bus anyway and headed up wind to work. Even some downhill portions were a struggle the wind was so strong, and the icy rain pellets in my face didn't help. But I made it, and relatively dry. On the way home the wind was pushing me hard to the side some times, but was mostly at my back making the ride home so much easier. Also the rain had stopped.

Challenging day! But I did it.

Also I timed myself on the way home. 23 minutes. When I started almost 2 months ago it took 25 min to work and 35 min home. Now I'm up to 20 min to work and 23 min home (granted that was with the wind pushing me).

Dollars saved: $6.30. Added bonus: I'll be fitter in FIRE.

lunahsol · « **Reply #3831 on:** July 17, 2015, 07:24:23 PM »

Made awesome potluck dish (red potato salad) to feed an army for just the cost of a red onion. Had everything else on hand. (& planned the dish based on what I already had on hand for once - lol!) Could have skipped the onion, I suppose, but it was worth it!

eliza · « **Reply #3832 on:** July 17, 2015, 07:46:20 PM »

I just realized that today was sort of my ideal post-FIRE day. I get every other Friday off, but I'm usually travelling.

Today, I:

Slept in. Well actually I woke up at 6:29 right before my alarm normally goes off on weekdays, laughed and fell back asleep for another 2.5 hours.
Lazed about in bed...reading
Made french press coffee and then crawled back into bed
Finished both the novel and the non-fiction book that I had in progress
Wandered up to the shopping center (.75 miles away), browsed World Market looking for inspiration for a wine-themed shower I'll be hosting in a few months. Bought nothing.
Walked over to the library to swap out finished books for books on hold that have arrived.
Stopped at the grocery store buying supplies for the weekend (wine, produce, bacon, eggs) and trolling for discounted items - found a pack of dill and parmesan crusted tilapia marked down to ~$4.5/lb for dinner.
Ate leftovers for lunch
Watched the British open for a bit while dicking around on the internet
Sat out on my front porch, drinking wine and reading a new book.
Cooked dinner - tilapia and baked potato - Watched Jeopardy while eating dinner (I'm not an 80 year old, but you'd never know from my TV watching habits).
Back out on my front porch with more wine. Finished another book.

It was a wonderful day. The realization that I could do this EVERY day once saving enough to be FI is profoundly motivating.

10dollarsatatime · « **Reply #3833 on:** July 17, 2015, 10:29:16 PM »

*Scrounged leftover pizza for lunch at work.
*Didn't buy my favorite ginger ale, (Cock n' Bull!) even though I was at the only store in town that carries it.
*Returned some dog grooming tools I had picked up for my very un-mustachian dogs. Turns out, my dog groomer SIL is willing to let me borrow hers AND is also willing to teach me how to groom a couple of standard poodles. This will certainly help bring pet costs in line with the average drool machine.

swick · « **Reply #3834 on:** July 17, 2015, 11:02:42 PM »

Mr. Swick spent the morning fixing our dryer with the help of a youtube video and 30.00 in parts. I'm very proud of him!

I am continuing to listen to resources on 1.5 speed and picked up a great tip that will save me tons of hours (and money) when I import my manuscripts into Scrivener for some much needed updating.

Continued with decluttering and was able to find a bunch of stuff that were on our "to buy" list because I didn't realize we already had some things I haven't seen since we moved.

Have cold brewed coffee and wild blueberry no-knead bread on the go for breakfast tomorrow.

Rural · « **Reply #3835 on:** July 18, 2015, 08:08:33 AM »

Quote from: swick on July 17, 2015, 11:02:42 PM

Mr. Swick spent the morning fixing our dryer with the help of a youtube video and 30.00 in parts. I'm very proud of him!

I am continuing to listen to resources on 1.5 speed and picked up a great tip that will save me tons of hours (and money) when I import my manuscripts into Scrivener for some much needed updating.

Continued with decluttering and was able to find a bunch of stuff that were on our "to buy" list because I didn't realize we already had some things I haven't seen since we moved.

Have cold brewed coffee and wild blueberry no-knead bread on the go for breakfast tomorrow.

Did Mr, Swick by chance replace a back bearing, and if so, could you link the video? Our $30 part has arrived.

powersuitrecall · « **Reply #3836 on:** July 18, 2015, 08:17:09 AM »

We've moved from buying 2L cartons of fancypants grapefruit juice to the frozen concentrate. We aren't big juice drinkers, but this helps. That stuff is expensive!

Value add: groceries are lighter now.

midweststache · « **Reply #3837 on:** July 18, 2015, 08:26:16 AM »

*Scrounged for dinner last night. Cleaned out some old-ish leftovers.
*Made French Toast for breakfast (brunch food sounded good, and this was WAY cheaper than going out).
*Finishing off some older grapes today as a throughout-the-day snack (they are on their LAST leg).

This is older, but I had Pledge on my Target list Thursday; when I got to the aisle, all my options were 1) LEMON LEMON LEMON or 2) $5+. I decided I can dust with a wet sock and dry sock instead.

Drossier · « **Reply #3838 on:** July 18, 2015, 10:16:07 AM »

Quote from: Rural on July 18, 2015, 08:08:33 AM

Did Mr, Swick by chance replace a back bearing, and if so, could you link the video? Our $30 part has arrived.

Mr Swick here.

I used two videos. The first for disassembling our particular brand of dryer (Frigidare Affinity / Electrolux AEQ6000ES2). You can skip this if your dryer is different or doesn't have the front panel controls. Also, ignore the part where they say to remove the bearing from the drum before removing the drum. This is the hard way. Instead, do like the second video says and remove the drum & bearing as one piece.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCKynRU2SUY

This is the second video, specific to replacing the back bearing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kyapga641aE

That video is from http://www.partselect.ca/ which is where I ordered the parts from too. They have some diagrams & other resources.

I would expect it to take an hour or two to do, depending on how much space you have to work with. Couple notes:

Careful when moving the belt tensioner. In the videos, they show it rotating out of the way with some effort. When I tried that on mine, the whole assembly fell off. It can be put back in place easily enough, but sudden movement when working with springs is unnerving and there's a lot of metal corners in the dryer.
The inside of the dryer is probably filthy with lint & dust. You'll probably want to vacuum it out as you go.
The more space the better. Our laundry room is really small, and working in cramped space slows things down a lot

That's all I can think of for now. It's pretty straight forward once you've taken the dryer apart. If you have any questions, let Swick or myself know. Good Luck!

Mrs.LC · « **Reply #3839 on:** July 18, 2015, 11:34:01 AM »

Just picked a couple quarts of raspberries from our small patch that I swear is taking steroids as it produces so well. Most of them will be frozen for later use. Picked green beans, cut two heads of cabbage, and dug a couple pounds of potatoes from the garden all of which will be vegetables/side dishes for the next two days.

As soon as I'm done with a few more chores I will be heading to the gym to take advantage of the a/c while getting exercise then will use the shower there to save on water and electricity at home.

jengod · « **Reply #3840 on:** July 18, 2015, 01:57:30 PM »

* Made a huge batch of carmelized onions in the crockpot and then canned them, thanks to this inspiring post by our very own Erica: http://www.nwedible.com/caramelized-onions/

* Harvested all our garden tomatillos and canned six jars of tomatillo salsa verde.

* Made zucchini frittters from garden zukes and green jack o'lantern pumpkin.

* Used my Starbucks birthday reward for a free venti black Pike.

1967mama · « **Reply #3841 on:** July 18, 2015, 05:25:20 PM »

*Got 3 big mugs of tea from one tea bag, thanks to the tip up thread from @dorothyc! Every cup was nice and strong, unlike my old way of reusing a tea bag mug by mug. Yum!

*Made up a weeks worth of oatmeal chocolate chip monster cookies for my boys who will be out at soccer camp this week. Pre-wrapped them individually then stuck them all in a large ziplock bag in the freezer. Also, bought powdered Gatorade to refill their bottles each day. My daughter bought them a bottle of Gatorade today, so they will think they've got the real McCoy! Billeting 2 coaches for the week got my kids in to soccer camp for free -- also, my older son is volunteering as a coach and will get a free Subway meal each day as well as a dinner meal at the wind up party. The two coaches will drive my older son each day since coaches have to arrive 45 minutes early and leave 45 minutes later than the camper kids. Win/win/win!

*Made 35 buns for lunches and chicken salad and egg salad as fillings. I think we have finally kicked the cold cuts habit. My repertoire of sandwich fillings is growing -- so far we have chicken salad, egg salad, salmon, tuna, roast beef, cheese, and pbj.

*Signed out 6 sets of kids books on cd's for family road trip in August. Librarian gave me 2 extra weeks so they aren't late -- benefit of having a good relationship with our librarians (or maybe this is standard practice and I just didn't know about it??) A hold came in that I have been waiting for for ages : Yvette Van Boven's "Home Made." It was a book I was really tempted to buy after reading about it on this forum, but now that I have it home, I am reminded of the $45 price tag! ack! So glad I didn't buy it! I will probably put another hold on it as soon as I return it. That way it will be a fun surprise when it comes in again in a few months.

Cressida · « **Reply #3842 on:** July 18, 2015, 11:26:53 PM »

Quote from: 1967mama on July 18, 2015, 05:25:20 PM

*Made 35 buns for lunches and chicken salad and egg salad as fillings. I think we have finally kicked the cold cuts habit. My repertoire of sandwich fillings is growing -- so far we have chicken salad, egg salad, salmon, tuna, roast beef, cheese, and pbj.

Oh, do you have a bun recipe you can share? I haven't been happy with any of my attempts. You are inspiring as always. :)

1967mama · « **Reply #3843 on:** July 19, 2015, 03:44:35 AM »

@Cressida, I'd love to share the recipe!

This is for regular white buns/dinner rolls. It makes a full cookie sheet of buns.

3 1/2 c. warm water
5 tsp. yeast
1/2 c. honey
1 Tbsp. salt
10 1/2 c. flour

Not sure if you need directions, but will add these just in case:

If you have quick rise yeast, just blend all ingredients together and knead for about 5 minutes. If you have regular active dry yeast, put the water and honey in a bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let it proof for about 10 minutes until the yeast is foamy. Then knead for about 5 minutes. Shape into small, round balls about 2 inches across (give or take) and place, barely touching one another, on greased cookie sheet. Let it rise 20-40 minutes and then bake in preheated oven at 325-250 for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown on top and bottom. Lift one up with a spatula to peek at the bottom. Flip out of pan onto cooling rack in one big sheet of buns. Watch them be devoured in a matter of hours. YMMV. This is a multi-purpose dough. I also make it into cinnamon buns, hamburger buns, hotdog buns, cheesy bread, pizza bread and cinnamon-raisin bread. Recipe doubles easily.

midweststache · « **Reply #3844 on:** July 19, 2015, 10:21:55 AM »

Used points from Amazon CC to buy Fido's freeze-dried food for the next few weeks. Cost: $0!

Most of the points on this card have come from work-related travel expenses that DH gets reimbursed for...

ReadyToStash · « **Reply #3845 on:** July 19, 2015, 01:09:13 PM »

Sent some unused items to Amazon for credit which I will then use for household consumables!

horsepoor · « **Reply #3846 on:** July 19, 2015, 04:20:46 PM »

Skipping the grocery shop this week. Did spend ~$20 on Friday night for a little fruit and veg, but mostly focusing on using what we have.

Was buying extra large zipper bags and the package said there were coupons inside, so I opened the box while still in the store and fished out a $1 off coupon and used it.

Used a $10 off coupon at the feed store. Made sure I got the cheaper 50# bag of chicken feed, not the 40# one I've been suckered in to buying before, not realizing until too late that the bag is cheaper because it's 20% less feed.

Per #1, thawing out some beef liver to have liver and onions for dinner one night this week.

Made a gallon of kombucha and about to spend an hour or two in the kitchen prep-cooking for the week.

Washed and waxed my truck yesterday. Cheaper than paying someone else to do it, and having a clean, shiny truck helps keep thoughts of replacing it with a newer model at bay.

Keeping the A/C off because I know it will start cooling off in a few hours.

Erica/NWEdible · « **Reply #3847 on:** July 19, 2015, 04:59:29 PM »

Can I do a confession/rant, dear MMM friends? This is: "What I did today to waste money."

So today I pack up the towels, the blanket, the buckets, the sunscreen and - this bit is important - the fresh pineapple, cheese and bacon quesadillas, and water - for a fun trip to the beach with the kids. My friend brings her son, and meets us there. Almost immediately she invites my kids and me out to lunch. "Come on! Come on - my treat!" she says to my kids - and the kids are like, "Yay!"

I manage to defer this lunch offer for like 3 hours with pointed offers of pineapple and quesadillas if people are hungry (I have plenty to share) but my kids both eagerly accept her continued offers to go out for lunch. I feel, I don't know - kinda stuck. Like to say no to this I have to be the biggest asshole. So - lunch. My son has something off the kids menu, daughter has a burger, I opt for an ice tea and no food. My friend is not actually in the financial position to take us all out, and I know this even if she ignores it. Plus, I don't wanna be a mooch, so I pay for our portion. Total with tip? $38.47.

Guys, look - I know at the end of the day this is on me. I could have held firm and dealt with the awkwardness. I'm not trying to put the "blame" on anyone else...but I'm frustrated. The value from spending nearly $40 was nothing. It wasn't even a relaxing and pleasant break from cooking - it was just pure waste from my perspective.

I guess I'm pissed at myself that I didn't hold firm, wasted money, felt mildly manipulated and didn't do a better job of handling it. So, that's it. Thanks for letting me vent. I'll take my Hail Marys and be on my way. :)

JDFW · « **Reply #3848 on:** July 19, 2015, 06:01:20 PM »

Perhaps I can help.

First, I sympathize. I'm going to a wedding next month at the beach. In August. Hotel rates, ugh. Driving six hours to get there and back, ugh. Gotta do it, though.

But let's get back to you. There may not have been a good way to decline. Sometimes you just have to accept the invitations of friends and family, even if you don't want to. People like to eat together, and have since the dawn of time. Non-Mustachians in our society often only think of this as eating out. Anyway, this sounds like a rare occurrence for you, so give yourself a break.

Now, regardless of whether you could get out of it, you did accept the offer. Since you did, you had, as all guests do, a responsibility to be charming. Had you done that, the value would have been in the good time you and your children had with your friend.

The people in our lives we care about are important. We often face these choices in life, but absent a graceful way out, you might try to remember that Relationships with Family/Friends>FIRE.

Erica/NWEdible · « **Reply #3849 on:** July 19, 2015, 06:24:20 PM »

Quote from: JDFW on July 19, 2015, 06:01:20 PM

Now, regardless of whether you could get out of it, you did accept the offer. Since you did, you had, as all guests do, a responsibility to be charming. Had you done that, the value would have been in the good time you and your children had with your friend.

The people in our lives we care about are important. We often face these choices in life, but absent a graceful way out, you might try to remember that Relationships with Family/Friends>FIRE.

Thank you, that was a very gently delivered facepunch. I appreciate it.

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